Pregnant women are at higher risk of serious complications from the influenza virus. To protect these women and their unborn babies, the major U.S. professional medical organizations--including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--urge pregnant women to get vaccinated against influenza, or "the flu."
Dangers of Influenza during Pregnancy
Influenza can have grave consequences for pregnant women, including early labor, severe pneumonia, hospitalization and even death. Getting a flu shot is the most effective way to prevent the flu, and pregnant women are one of the highest priority groups to receive the influenza vaccine.
Vaccine Safety
Health care providers have been safely administering the flu shot to pregnant women for the past 45 years, and flu shots have not been shown to be harmful to pregnant women or their babies. The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continually monitor any adverse events following flu vaccination, and none has raised any concerns about the safety of this vaccine in pregnant women or their newborns. Soreness at the site of injection is the most common side effect, and mild fever, aches, and fatigue are other side effects that may happen a few days after vaccination.
When to Get It
The flu shot can be safely administered during any trimester of pregnancy. Ideally, women who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant should be vaccinated as soon as flu vaccine is available for the season, typically in September. Only one dose per season is needed to provide protection for adults.
Types of Flu Vaccine
Flu vaccine is available as an injection or as a spray administered nasally. Pregnant women should get the flu shot, which is given with a needle and usually in the arm. The nasal spray is not approved for pregnant women, although women who have already delivered their babies may receive the nasal spray form of the vaccine, even if they are breastfeeding.
Protection for Baby
Since babies under 6 months of age cannot be vaccinated against the flu, pregnant women (and new mothers) who get the flu vaccine are helping to protect their newborns from acquiring the disease by protecting themselves against influenza. Receiving the flu shot during pregnancy confers some protection to the unborn baby as well, since these babies contract influenza less often than babies whose mothers were not vaccinated against flu.
